Wheel cover



June 24, 1947.

Gf A. I YoN 2,422,689

WHEEL COVER Filed April 17, 1944 Patented June 24, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEEL COVER George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. J. 1

Application April 17, 1944, Serial No. 531,335

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a wheel structure and more particularly to a wheel cover for a wheel.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 517,324, iiled January 7, 1944, and with particular reference to Figures 8 to 11, inclusive, of said copending application.

An object of this invention is to provide a wheel cover which will readily accommodate the allowable manufacturing tolerances in the rim and body parts of a wh'eel such, for example, as differences in their relative locations after they 'are assembled together.

In the manufacture of wheel covers and in their assembly on wheels it has been found that considerable tolerance is allowed in the rim and body parts of a wheel. This is particularly true in regard to their relative locations. In other words, for example, the outer edge of the wheel rim may be in one wh'eel located further axially outward from the body part than in another wheel. As a consequence, a cover which ls made to bridge these parts must take this allowable manufacturing tolerance into consideration.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a metallic cover which can bear at its outer margin against the edge of the rim and which has an inner margin so arranged that it will take into consideration slight variations in the relative positions of the body part to the rim and whereby the cover may be tightly held on the wheel irrespective of these variations.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided in a wheel structure including a wh'eel having a multi-flanged tire rim part and a body part with a depressed central portion, a. cover assembly therefor comprising an outer annular member having an outer portion overlying side flanges of the rim part and an inner margin having flexible fingers formed to be stressed into nested engagement with the depressed portion and a central hub cap constru-ated to be snapped into retained engagement with the depressed portion and having an outer margin overlapping said inner margin and including an under-turned skirt bearing against and deilecting said fingers tightly against the body part whereby the annular member can accommodate allowable manufacturing tolerances in the wheel part.

In accordance withi other features of this invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a circular wheel cover for covering a portion of a wheel between an outer edge of a tire rim and a wheel body including an outer margin for contact bearing against the rim edge and an inner margin normally arranged so as to be out of contact with the wheel body and being serrated to give it resiliency such that that inner margin can be pressed home into retained engagement with the wheel body so that the cover can accommodate variations in the allowable manufacturing tolerances of the wheel rim and body.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. which illustrate several embodiments thereofand in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a wheel structure embodying the features of this invention and in which the central hub cap is partly broken away to show the iingers or serrations on the inner margin of the annular cover;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view taken on substantially the line II II of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing my novel cover assembly in retained position on the wheel;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through a portion of the wheel with the h'ub cap omitted and showing the condition of the fingers on the inner margin of the cover prior to the deflection of the same into retained engagement with the wheel body; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional View similar to Figure 2 illustrating a modiiication of the invention wherein protuberances on the wheel body are employed for holding the cover on the wheel instead of fingers as in Figure 2.

In the drawings:

In the several modifications of the invention there is illustrated more or less a conventional type of automobile vwheel in which a pneumatic tire is held on a so-called drop-center tire rim. In Figure 2 the tire is designated generally by the reference character 9 and it is carried on a conventional multi-flanged, drop-center rim Il) attached in the usual way to a load bearing or wheel 'body part Il which has a dished or depressed central portion |2 and a bolt-on flange I3 by means of which the wheel may be attached for support on an axle such as by bolts or cap screws (not shown). Cooperating with 'this conventional tire and wheel assembly is a cover assembly embodying the features of this invention and designated generally by the reference character I5. This assembly includes an outer annular cover member I6 and a central retaining hub and adapted to register with the protuberances so that the protuberances can extend through the openings or apertures.

In the application of the cover member 36 to the wheel, it is first placed over the wheel with the openings 43 aligned with the protuberances 34. While it is held in this position, the hub cap 37 is pressed over the center of the wheel and into retaining engagement with the protuber- `ances 34. It should be noted that the hub cap 31 has an underturned skirt 4| terminating in a turned edge 42 adapted to be cammed over and into retaining engagement with the protuberances 3Q, thereby deilecting portion 3.9 against the wheel body.

`The hub cap 3'! may be easily removed from the wheel by a suitable pry-off tooll in a manner that is well known in the art.

At this time attention is directed to the fact that in both forms of the invention an aperture 24 may be formed in the outer annular cover member (Figure 2) through which the valve stem may extend so as to be accessible without requiring the removal of the cover from the wheel.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wheel structure including a wheel having a multi-flanged tire rim part and a body part with a depressed central portion, a cover assembly therefor comprising an outer annular mem- Iber of metallic sheet having an outer margin overlying side flanges of the rim part and an inner portion having iieXi-ble iingers formed to be stressed into nested engagement with said Adepressed portion, and a central hub cap constructed to be snapped into retained engagement with said depressed portion and having an outer margin overlapping said inner margin and including an underturned skirt bearing against and deflecting said lingers tightly against said body part whereby said annular member can accommodate allowable manufacturing tolerances in said wheel parts.

2. In a wheel structure including a wheel having a multi-flanged tire rim part and a body part with a depressed central portion, a cover assembly therefor comprising an outer annular member of metallic sheet having an outer margin overlying side iianges of the rim part and an inner portion having flexible ngers formed to be stressed into nested engagement with said depressed portion, and a central hub cap constructed to be snapped into retained engagement with said depressed yportion and having an outer margin overlapping said inner margin and including an underturned skirt bearing against and deflecting said lingers tightly against said body part whereby said annular member can accommodate allowable manufacturing tolerances in said wheel parts, said fingers being integral with said annular member and being provided by serrations in the inner portion of said. annular member.

3. In a wheel structure including a wheel having a multi-flanged tire rim part and a body part, a circular wheel cover for covering apportion of the wheel between an outer edge of the tire rim part and the wheel body part including an outer margin for contact bearing against the rim part edge and an inner margin normally arranged so as to be out of contact with the wheel body and being serrated to give it resiliency such that said inner margin can be pressed home into retained engagement with the wheel body part so that the cover can accommodate variations in the allowable manufacturing tolerances of the wheel parts.

4. In a wheel structure including a wheel having -a multi-anged tire rim part and a body part, a circular wheel cover for covering a portion of the wheel between an outer edge of the tire rim part and the wheel body lpart including an outer margin for contact bearing against the rim part edge and an inner margin normally arranged so .as to be out of contact with the wheel body and being serrated to give it resiliency such that said inner margin can be pressed home into retained engagement with the wheel body part so that the cover can accommodate variations in the allowable manufacturing tolerances of the wheel parts, and a central cover retaining mem ber detachably snapped into retained engagement with the wheel body part and having a portion for overlapping the inner margin of the cover to force the same axially inward and tightly against the body part of the wheel.

5. In a wheel structure including a wheel having a multi-flanged tire rim part and a body part with a depressed central portion provided with hub cap retaining means, a cover assembly therefor comprising an outer annular member of resilient sheet having an outer margin overlying side flanges of the rim part and an inner portion having flexible fingers formed to be stressed into nested engagement with said depressed portion, and a central hub cap constructed to be snapped into retained engagement with said depressed portion and having an outer margin overlapping said inner portion and including an underturned skirt bearing against and deflecting said ngers tightly against said body part whereby said annular member can accommodate allowable manufacturing tolerances in said wheel parts, said inner portion of the outer annular member also being provided with a plurality of apertures through which retaining means on the body part of the wheel can extend for retaining cooperation with the hub ca-p.

6. In combination in a wheel structure including a wheel having a multi-flanged tire rim part and a separately formed and permanently assembled body part with an axially outwardly protruding curved annular nose portion surrounding a depressed central portion provided with a plurality of radially inwardly protruding hub cap retaining protuberances, and wherein the tire rim and body part have unpredictable manufacturing tolerance differences in their relative axial assembled locations as compared with other simi.. lar assemblies, a cover assembly therefor comprising an outer annular member of flexible sheet material and convexly curved cross section having its outer margin disposed to concealingly overlic the outer side of theV tire rim part and curved radially and axially inwardly toward the body part to a point radially outwardly of said depressed central portion at said nose portion, an inner marginal portion iiexibly disposed on said cover member and formed for nested er1- gagement with said nose portion and to enter in said depressed portion, said inner marginal portion of the cover member having a plurality of apertures through which the protuberances can extend, and a central hub cap constructed to be snapped into retained engagement with said pro- -7 s eid denressed pertiori and hai/ing @Yerle ."Iie seid 'inner marginal lai" @Ver member andinellldskirt t0 beer @gems-l said e A 'tin'eiid 'Pressl the latter Jn Lse portion ofthe body pari-said against lsf,

'inner marginalportio'n being initially so yarlingedv that it is actually out of Contact with said nose nrti; when .the einer margin of the Oever member i in epnteieiwiiih the edge of the tire rim sind being vdefleeted by the hub can skirt into snug retainedengageinent with said nose portion .of the wheel body part "7. ,In @cover structure for a vvlieel including a tire" rim" rari sind e" bedr 'mit having e dishes central hubV cap receiving portion and retaining 'i means, 'aw-heel coyer 'cooperable With an outer of said Wlieel'andconiprising all annulus nai/ ing an' `innerniargin turned generally axially rearwardly yfor telescoping'cpiieratiogn with said fiis'iied rosy infinit iiiiigiiiii Cap heid in said `wheel by said reiaiiiiie'mearis, said margin being serratedandresliently deflectable by the portion oitlne hub cap engaged thereby to self adjust "itself to varia onsY in sizfe of the hub` cap.

8. In a' 'cover struLv tire riin part" an Aa' bqdy'part having a dished central nun' cap re eving portion and retaining ineens, 'a 'Wheel cover cooperable' with an outer si of saidfWhelQl nel feo "prising an annulus Devine e'iiiirierinaifie thrilled generally axialirene p'oiiy portitmana'anub cap heid in said wheel by said' retaining means,v said margin'ba ing serrated Vand'resiliently'"defieotalole 'by the portion of the hub cap engaged'th'ereby to selfitselffto variations in size of Said hub cap portion; said cover `also including an outer an,-

Wardly'fdr 'telescoping cooperation with said for a Wheel including'a iii nular portieri extending" generally radially in Wardly and' axially rearwardly fiem .anouter .edge of the rim part to a point of bearing on the body part and being of such configuration as to appear inuse to be a continuationA of the side Wall of the tire such that the tire appears to extend to sub..- stantially clear down to the hub capon the wheel.

l0. In a cover structure for ar Wheel including tire rim and body parts having a cventraldetaohable liub cap, a metallic Wheel cover cooperable 'with an outer side of said Wheel and comprising an annulus having an inner curved margin -slot- @ed snes te be' flexible, said margin beine of such curvature as toc'onform to and be embraced by an outer margin of the hub cap andsaid margin being resiliently flexible in response t9 clir'iiii'ng pressure 'themen by lhe hub eap'wh'erbifsaid cover can Within a lirnited range accommodate different sized hub margins. 4

11. In 'a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and 'body parts having a central detach; able hub can; a' metallic Wheel cover cocpeable with an'ou'ter side of said vvlieel and comprising anan'nulus having an inner curved Innrgin slotte@ se es te bef iieXible, seid margin beine lef such curvature as torenforrri to be embraced by outer margin'of the hub cap'and Said margin being resiliently flexible in response to clamping pressure thereon by thelnub cap whereby said cover canj'witliin a li'inited range, accomrngdate diiiceren'tl sizedf'h'ub cap margins, said, cover also including an outer annular portion o f curved convex cross-section and extending radially'and axially inwardly froni'the'ute edge of the rin; part to a point directly over tle part.

GEORGE ALBERT vLYQN.

` REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STTES. FATETTS.

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